The present invention relates to a light pinpointing device to help in teaching a robot a path to be followed, and to assist in accurately determining the center point position of the robot tool.
In order to teach a welding robot a path to be followed, the operator must bring the tool to several positions along the joint or feature to be welded. At each position, the operator must carefully adjust the height, the orientation and the lateral position of the tool in order to get the optimal welding quality. The height and lateral position are normally adjusted with the help of a welding wire that is cut so that its tip corresponds to the robot tool""s center point. The problem with this procedure is that the wire often hits the work piece and its position must again be adjusted in order to maintain good accuracy of the welding torch position.
An object of the invention is to provide a light pinpointing device that overcomes the aforesaid drawback.
A subsidiary object of the invention is to provide a light pinpointing device for producing a pinpointing light signal at an operative center point of a robot tool, instead of using a welding wire.
According to the present invention, there is provided a light pinpointing device for producing a pinpointing light signal at an operative center point of a robot tool, comprising a frame having first and second opposite ends, the first end being provided with a means for fastening the frame to an end of the robot tool. A light source assembly is provided to produce a pair of light beams inside the frame. A lens in front of the light source assembly, is provided for directing the light beams through the second end of the frame in converging directions so that the light beams intersect with each other at a distance from the end of the robot tool corresponding to the operative center point thereof, thereby providing the pinpointing light signal.